instruments à percussion

: the beating or striking of a musical instrument. c. : the act or technique of tapping the surface of a body part to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the resultant sound.

Percussion instruments make a sound when they are struck, shaken, scraped, plucked, or rubbed. Some types, such as rattles and xylophones, have moving parts built into them that make a sound. Some have bodies that vibrate to produce a sound. They include bells, cymbals, and gongs.

In music, the word “percussion” refers to creating sound by means of physical contact – in contrast to plucking strings, blowing air, or manipulating audio frequencies (as in the case of the Theremin). This means percussion instruments produce musical notes by hitting, stroking, shaking, scraping, or rubbing.

Here's a picture of the xylophone. You play this instrument by hitting this rectangle here with a thing called a mallet which is basically a stick that has a little ball attached to it.

Synonyms of percussion (noun drumming) blow. collision. impact. jolt.

1. the striking of one body against another with some sharpness; impact; blow. 2. Medicine. the striking or tapping of the surface of a part of the body for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

Percussion is a method of tapping body parts with fingers, hands, or small instruments as part of a physical examination. It is done to determine: The size, consistency, and borders of body organs.

Percussion notation is a type of musical notation indicating notes to be played by percussion instruments. As with other forms of musical notation, sounds are represented by symbols which are usually written onto a musical staff (or stave).

The percussion section of an orchestra most commonly contains instruments such as the timpani, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, belonging to the membranophones, and cymbals and triangle, which are idiophones.

On a piano, however, those vibrations are initiated by hammers hitting the strings rather than by plucking or by moving a bow across them. So, the piano also falls into the realm of percussion instruments. As a result, today the piano is generally considered to be both a stringed and a percussion instrument.

When performing percussion, tympany is normally heard over fluid-filled organs such as the stomach, bladder, and bowels. The combination of air and fluid creates a drum-like sound. However, the sound may be more dull or flat if a client has adipose tissue or muscles over the abdomen, because of the increased density.

On a piano, however, those vibrations are initiated by hammers hitting the strings rather than by plucking or by moving a bow across them. So, the piano also falls into the realm of percussion instruments. As a result, today the piano is generally considered to be both a stringed and a percussion instrument.